training review, recovery days and weeks

[Fredrick Teichert]

I've taken Sasha's advice and tried to go long. Last week I ran 10 miles four days in a row, had to miss a day and then ran 20 for my long run on Saturday. Based on an old training program, I had planned to take a recovery week this week, cutting my miles in half, because after a month of building up to 60 miles, conventional wisdom says I should rest and "let my training sink in." I don't feel that way. 20 was tough yesterday, but I feel pretty good today and would rather run 10 five days in a row this week and see where my long run takes me next Saturday. So, the question is, what about recovery days and weeks? Many programs only suggest running every other day and taking a recovery week every four or so. That doesn't seem to be Sasha's philosophy. Enlighten me. But, you'd better do it pretty quick because I think I'll probably do 10 tomorrow anyway, unless somebody says, "Stop! Dufus, you're getting ahead of yourself."

[adam]

A bit of advice: If you notice you're starting to get tired, like you're body is telling you to slow down for a bit, do it.  You'll be glad  did a month from now when you are still training and improving well. You don't miss anything by slowing it down for a few days or week, keeping your miles consistent, and getting back into it when your ready.

Do the 10 miles each day, keep it easy, and when you feel like picking it up for a few miles, or a few little sprints, go ahead. Maybe pick a day out of that week when you get down to business and go back to easy stuff for the rest of the time.

[Fredrick Teichert]

Thanks for the advice, Adam. I'm still running easy most of the time, but trying to keep my cadence consistent by not over striding or getting lazy, either. If I feel like walking for a moment every couple of miles, I do that. So, as you can tell, I'm just trying to build a base. It feels like I can run 10 again tomorrow, so I think that's what I'll do. If I feel something other than tired, I'll cut back. What do you think about cutting back to "let your training set in"?

[Jon Allen]

Fred- if you really want to keep your mileage the same but are wondering/worried about injury, one thing you can do is alternate hard vs. easy days.  Try a hard 12 one day, then an easy 6-8 the next.  Gives your body some recovery time and reduces the chance of burnout due to endless 10-mile days. 

[Fredrick Teichert]

Thanks, Jonathan. That make a lot of sense.

[adam]

Ideally, you should not have to be cutting back for lengthy periods of time to let training set in. Every day you run you create muscle damage. That damage heals and then creates new bonds, meaning you become stronger. So in reality, every minute you are not training, the training is setting in- when you sleep, when you rest, when you walk the dog, etc. Running slower or at a decreased intensity allows your body to expierence less damage, meaning you can heal somewhat faster than if you did high intensity each day.

Now, cutting back for a period of a few weeks or more is definitely something you can do, however, most periodization programs will have this occur just slightly prior to a competitive season or just after (usually if it is before a competitive season, it is shorter in duration and is meant to prepare the athlete for the work to come, meaning that there is a reduction in mileage but a increase in some of the intensity of the workouts). So look at your goals for the season. If you are still months away from your serious racing plans, then I would continue to build base and just slow the workouts down for the week or so in order to continue to build base. If you have races coming up in the the next few weeks, you would probably do well to decrease the miles somewhat and increase the intensity of some of the miles to prime you for that.

[Sasha Pachev]

My thoughts on periodization. Any gains from proper periodization are going to be marginal compared to the gains from bringing the aerobic base to where it should be. Up to that point with some rare exceptions the limiting factor of performance is going to be the lack of aerobic base. So goal number one of every distance runner should be to learn to run 60 miles a week without getting injured. Until that happens talking just about anything else is not very productive. 

A side note - Runner's World, Hal Higdon, Jeff Galloway, and others are going to hate me for saying this because it kills their business. They do not have anybody to sell their training plans to anymore. Most runners do not have either the time or the discipline or both to fully develop their aerobic base and get to the point where something else is the limiting factor. And until then the answer is go out and jog as much as your time and health will permit.

Once you get to the point where 10 miles is not a long run, just your usual daily stroll, it is time to evaluate what limits your performance and come up with a plan to improve that weakness.

[Fredrick Teichert]

Adam and Sasha, thanks so much for your input. That makes a lot of sense and feels right. I'm not doing anything really competitive until the Salt Lake Marathon and actually, if I don't feel up to it, I'll probably just use that as an aided long run. Things could change but right now I have time to build miles. I like the idea of just going at it consistently, day after day. I'll change things up a little for variety and get some friends to run with me from time to time, but with your advice, I'll just try to get a couple of months of consistent 70+ weeks under my belt. When I've done that, I'll ask you guys to help me get fast. Thanks, again!

[adam]

Sasha I agree with you on periodization after an aerobic base is developed. I just assumed that would be understood and so didn't write it. Additionally, the concept of traditional periodization with one or two peaks a year is less than ideal for a runner. Most elite runners incorporate the concept of undulating periodization, allowing them to spend the year training for multiple competitions in different ways.

It's this kind of concept that allows a person like Kara Goucher to be running and winning 3000's in Feb with a run at Boston only 8 weeks down the road. She has had a large base developed over years of running and so can shift focus and training patterns for what needs to be done.